Srinagar, Apr 11: With most of the past week washed out by persistent rain across the Kashmir Valley, major outdoor sporting activities remained temporarily suspended.

However, with the weatherman forecasting improvement, sports lovers, particularly cricketers are now hoping for a lively return to grounds on Sunday.

According to the India Meteorological Department (MeT) Centre in Srinagar, weather conditions on Sunday are expected to remain generally dry, with only a brief spell of light rain at isolated places during afternoon hours.

The improved forecast has raised optimism among local players, many of whom have been unable to train or participate in matches due to waterlogged grounds and continuous wet conditions.

“We have lost almost an entire week to rain. If the weather holds, Sunday could finally see some action on the ground” said Touseef Ahmad, a local cricketer in Srinagar.

The MeT has further predicted generally dry weather from April 13 to 15, offering a window for resumption of outdoor sporting activities across the Valley. However, a spell of light rain or thundershowers is expected at scattered places during late afternoon or evening hours on April 16 and 17, followed by another dry phase from April 18 to 22.

While grounds in many areas are still recovering from soggy conditions, players remain hopeful that improving weather will allow matches and practice sessions to resume in the coming days.

“Almost a week has gone without play, if weather remains dry, we would resume our tournament”, said Tahir, an organiser of a local tournament.

If conditions remain favourable, Sunday could mark a much-awaited return of sporting activity to Kashmir’s playgrounds after days of rain-induced disruption.